Missionary Report from

CUBA

Dear brothers and sisters in the whole world,

It is with great joy that I work in the Lord’s vineyard. I can see that the gospel of Jesus Christ is being received in the hearts of many in new fields as well as old.

The Republic of Cuba is an island country in the Caribbean, located 90 miles south of Key West, Florida. Cuba is the principal island, which is surrounded by four main groups of islands. The main island of Cuba constitutes most of the nation’s land area or 40,543 square miles (105,006 square km). The second largest island is the Isla de la Juventud (Isle of Youth) in the southwest, with an area of 1,180 square miles (3,056 square km). The total land area is 42,803 square miles (110,860 square km). The capital city is Havana.

The name “Cuba” comes from the Taíno language; and although the exact meaning is unclear, it may be translated either as “where fertile land is abundant” (cubao), or “great place” (coabana).

History records that Christopher Columbus discovered Cuba before dawn on October 28, 1492, landing in Bariay, a harbor near the eastern tip of the island. When he first set out to search for the New World, he could not have imagined that he would see some of the world’s most beautiful sights that would undoubtedly take his breath away. As gathered from his chronicles, the exotic beauty of a particular island in the Caribbean Sea left him absolutely spellbound. In his essay about the discovery of this land of Cuba, he passionately described the splendor of its lush greenery and landscapes, a land of exotic flowers, trees, and wide, clear rivers. Despite finding very little gold on the island, he was infatuated with it.

According to the last census, the population in 2002 was 11,177,743. The official language is Spanish. The average life expectancy for Cubans is 77.08 years which is comparable to that of the United States, although Cuba is a relatively poor, developing country.

The county is officially an atheist state; however, it has many faiths representing its varied culture. Catholicism was brought to the island by the Spanish and is the dominant faith. The religious landscape of Cuba is also marked by syncretisms (fusions of different systems of belief) of various kinds. Catholicism is often practiced in tandem with Santeria, a mixture of Catholicism and other, mainly African, faiths that include a number of cult religions. La Virgen de la Caridad del Cobre (the Virgin of Cobre), the Catholic patroness of Cuba, has been syncretized with the goddess Ochun. Three hundred thousand Cubans belong to the island’s 54 Protestant denominations, which have grown rapidly in recent years. Cuba has small communities of Jews, Muslims, and members of the Baha’i religion.

I would like to share with you the history of the Reform message in Cuba. Brother Carlos Kozel, who was sent out by the General Conference, paid a missionary visit to Cuba in 1950 and won one soul for the Lord. Afterward this individual gained another soul. In 1980, Brother Raul Escobar visited Cuba and baptized that second soul, who had been waiting for baptism for a long time. These two believers are now asleep in Jesus. The souls whom they won have unfortunately left the church due to the difficulties they had to face.

In October 2007, I visited the “Pearl of the Caribbean,” as the island is also called, accompanied by Sister Ana Castillo, a Cuban-American who lives in Miami, Florida, and by Pastor Pedro Ruiz from Guatemala, at the request of the General Conference to encourage the work of the Reform Movement on the island.

Sister Castillo made arrangements for us to meet some Adventist families in Humberto Alvarez in the Matanzas province. The Lord blessed us richly as He gave us the first eight souls who were baptized. From there we traveled to Cienfuegos; and although some Adventist leaders opposed us, twelve souls made a decision for the Reform Movement. After that, we traveled to Havana, where three brothers were baptized. A total of twenty-three souls were baptized on our first visit!

The work of God is rapidly growing and has spread to Camaguey, Cienfuegos, Matanzas, Granma, and Pinar del Río. At present, there are 70 members, and we were therefore able to organize the Cuban Field. We have six Bible workers and two candidates to be ordained as elders. We are praying fervently to the Lord Jesus and hope that soon, perhaps by the time this offering is gathered, the number of members will exceed one hundred.

As the work grows, however, so do the needs, as outlined below:

• Aid for the members affected by the hurricanes. In 2008, Cuba was struck by three devastating hurricanes that pounded the Caribbean area and destroyed many of the members’ and their families’ houses. Many Cuban believers who live in the U.S., brethren from Mexico, as well as the General Conference, have provided help for the victims; but there are still some 25 homeless families that need help.
• Funds to print new publications and to buy a small printing and photocopy machine. The Cuban Field needs materials such as lessons, brochures, and books to be able to give Bible studies. Since it is not easy to obtain literature from abroad, it is essential a small printing press.
• Bicycles and motorcycles. One of the believers' greatest challenges is transportation; therefore bicycles and motorcycles will make it much easier for them to be able to give Bible studies and make missionary visits, since at times they travel as far as 20 kilometers to visit interested souls.
• Funds to build a church. The members in Havana need to buy a plot to build a church where they can meet together.

We want to reach the Cuban people for the Lord and bring the message of truth to the most remote corner of the island. To do that we request the support of God’s people. I appeal to you to contribute generously so we may meet the most urgent needs of the new members and continue adding to the church those who will be saved.

–Martín A. Lagunas Ramos
Regional Representative for North and Central America and the Caribbean